MOTHER BLESSING CEREMONY

The Blessingway is an ancient Navajo tradition which celebrates a woman’s rite of passage into motherhood. Inspired by this beautiful tradition, Engaged Birth Doula hosts a Mother Blessing Ceremony to honour your transition into motherhood. Having a Mother Blessing Ceremony is an incredible experience and a wonderful alternative to a baby shower, which typically focuses on things for the baby, whereas this ceremony focuses on nurturing the mother-to-be and celebrating your needs as a new mother.

A Mother Blessing Ceremony involves a gathering of your most trusted friends and family, who sit in the power of a circle and share amongst one another. Traditionally it is a woman-only gathering and may include her mother, sisters, aunts, daughters, best of friends, mentors – anyone she respects, looks up to or values. It helps the woman to prepare herself for the birth, emotionally, spiritually and mentally, for the all important role of a new mother. It is an opportunity for her to be supported by those she loves and respects – a great way to help her release any blockages she may be feeling and to allow her to embrace what’s to come. Hearing other women’s birth stories as you share around the circle can be surprising, exciting and heartwarming to hear. A Mother Blessing can be very affirming, empowering and uplifting. Together we can encourage those closest to you to surround you, creating a circle of loving energy which you will keep with you throughout the rest of your pregnancy and on into the birth experience.

POSTPARTUM CEREMONY

Sometimes birth does not go to plan. For many women, this can create feelings of disappointment or even grief. It is important for all women to feel that their birth was special and that their transition into motherhood is honoured in an appropriate way. Alternatively, even if birth did go to plan, having a Postpartum Ceremony allows you, your partner and your baby to reconnect after the excitement (and sometimes drama) of birth in a private, peaceful and meaningful way.

Postpartum Ceremonies can be a very intense, emotional process, which may involve grief, sadness or joy, depending on your particular feelings. Holding all of this in can be incredibly tiring or even painful – it can be hard work holding yourself together, day after day. Having ‘permission’ and a space to let it go is so very important for your wellbeing and the wellbeing of your baby. Whatever feelings it involves, your Postpartum Ceremony is designed to honour your birth, and honour your journey to parenthood. These ceremonies are becoming more popular because the wellbeing of mother and baby is understood to be connected on a practical and spiritual level.

Because Michelle at Engaged Birth Doula understands a woman’s emotional and physical needs during birth, we can create a ceremony that reclaims the rite of passage of birth, and allows you to connect with your birth experience and your baby in a private, peaceful, joyous and spiritual way.